5th and 6th items are situational.

Transcendence

Warrior Tabi

Jotunn's Wrath

Hydra's Lament

Brawler's Beat Stick

Bloodforge

Starting Items (Or Start Charged Morningstar + Potions)
Notes Starting Mage's Blessing + Morningstar will give you ~15 more damage on ability damage at the very start of the game, along with better situational MP5 (@ < 80% mana) and more gold to buy more potions, should you choose. It will delay getting Transcendence online by a couple of minutes, but will give you a higher early base of CDR (20% between blessing and Trans) once you've built it.

Core Items
Notes Always build these 4 items, and I suggest it in this order.

Some prefer Hydra's Lament before Jotunn's Wrath, but Hydra's passive appreciates higher power/pen. Getting Jotunn's Wrath first gives a better base of power, higher early CDR, and some pen to get through early / inherent protections.

Transcendence

Warrior Tabi

Jotunn's Wrath

Hydra's Lament

Items #5 & 6 (Situational, Choose 2)
Notes Heartseeker is great for the MS, and you can get the most out of it if you can stack with basics (on minions) before an engagement.

Bloodforge's health shield can be helpful if you need to dive into a teamfight to attempt taking out a high DPS enemy squishy god, and want to come out alive.

Brawler's Beat Stick is great when facing enemy healing. Hopefully you can burst down a mage healer without the need for the anti-heal effect, but even if you can't burst down a Hercules, you can really hurt his sustain. In any case, the power and flat pen are very functional.

Titan's Bane is an option if facing a tankier team, or even the squishies are building some protections (because you're kicking their ***es XD).

Belt of Frenzy is always a great option for quick objective takedown, and 10% increased damage is always nice.

Heavenly Wings isn't perhaps a normal choice, since he's got Vanish, but if you need that extra boost of speed and Vanish is either on CD or you want to save it, this will help. In a group setting, boosting teammates' speed can also help for chase or escape.

Purification Beads

Aegis Amulet

Belt of Frenzy

Heavenly Wings

Loki's Skill Order

Vanish

1X

214151618

Decoy

2A

136719

Aimed Strike

3B

48101112

Assassinate

4Y

59131720

Purchase Order

Non-Trans Glass Cannon Build Example (Last 3 Items Situational)
Notes This is a standard build set for non-Conquest / teamfight modes that doesn't use Transcendence (if you want to avoid early stacking and the slower power curve).

A typical replacement to consider might be switching in The Crusher for Soul Eater. This will give you a bit more basic attack function, due to the added attack speed, along with some extra pen for the squishiest enemies.

Chalice of Mana

Warrior Tabi

Jotunn's Wrath

Hydra's Lament

Brawler's Beat Stick

Soul Eater

Titan's Bane

Core Items
Notes Always build these 3 items, typically in this order.

Some prefer Hydra's Lament before Jotunn's Wrath, but Hydra's passive appreciates higher power/pen. Getting Jotunn's Wrath first gives a better base of power, higher early CDR, and some pen to get through early / inherent protections.

Warrior Tabi

Jotunn's Wrath

Hydra's Lament

Items #4-6 (Choose 3)
Notes Heartseeker is great for the MS, and you can get the most out of it if you can stack with basics (on minions) before an engagement.

Bloodforge's health shield can be helpful if you need to dive into a teamfight to attempt taking out a high DPS enemy squishy god, and want to come out alive.

Brawler's Beat Stick is great when facing enemy healing. Hopefully you can burst down a mage healer without the need for the anti-heal effect, but even if you can't burst down a Hercules, you can really hurt his sustain. In any case, the power and flat pen are very functional.

Titan's Bane is an option if facing a tankier team, or even the squishies are building some protections (because you're kicking their ***es XD).

Masamune is a hybrid option if you want added movespeed and also feel like you need some protections. Good power at least helps its viability.

Soul Eater will give you 40% CDR, and give you some health sustain for longer stays away from the fountain. The high power is also very nice.

Belt of Frenzy is always a great option for quick objective takedown, and 10% increased damage is always nice.

Heavenly Wings isn't perhaps a normal choice, since he's got Vanish, but if you need that extra boost of speed and Vanish is either on CD or you want to save it, this will help. In a group setting, boosting teammates' speed can also help for chase or escape.

Phantom Veil is specifically used as a counter to Odin's Ring of Spears, if he's spamming the ability and you don't want to use your ult as an escape (or it's on CD).

Purification Beads

Aegis Amulet

Belt of Frenzy

Heavenly Wings

Phantom Veil

Loki's Skill Order

Vanish

1X

312141516

Decoy

2A

1261819

Aimed Strike

3B

4781011

Assassinate

4Y

59131720

Introduction

Recent Updates:

2019/5/22: Added basic attack progression information to the abilities section, along with some additional info.

2019/2/22: Minor updates to wording to allow for earlier Vanish prioritization, if preferred, along with added wording for flexibility of Hydra's before Jotunn's, again if preferred. Thanks to ninja_assasin for the discussion.

2019/2/11: Guide is current (except for maps) as of Patch 6.1, "Season 6." Loki sees a major nerf to his damage potential, as his basic attack damageprogression drops from 1/0.5/0.5/0.5/1.5x to 0.75/0.5/0.5/0.5/1.5x. This hurts his first attack damage, attack canceling, and any functions that enhance that damage (e.g. Behind You!, Hydra's Lament, etc.). He is much less likely to see play in Conquest, though he may see select specialization in Casual modes for his split-push ability. He may also see some future patch adjustments to help balance him further.

I will maintain the builds and gameplay for the various roles, but expect his viability to drop significantly. You have been warned.

2016/4/7: With the help of nanoyam, some adjustments have been made to format/presentation.

2016/3/30: Updated info based on Patch 3.5, "Protect and Support." Other minor revisions.

2016/2/8: Added Masamune as an option for item 6...think it would do well for him in some situations.

2016/2/2: Updated for Season 3! Little has changed for Loki's ability set or my standard build, and it should continue to be solid for him as-is, though new options have been added. Added Trendkill's Know Your Enemy video. "Actives" -> "Relics" section revised.

With all of the item changes and new items, I'm absolutely open to hearing of anyone's ideas and possibly incorporating into or adjusting my build. Feel absolutely free to comment!!!

2015/12/17: Added lore section/video. Rearranged some information in the intro.

2015/09/27: Added more in-depth discussion in the "Other Details on the Build" spoiler.

Hello everyone! My name is Branmuffin17 (PC IGN: Muffinman17, PS4 IGN: Branmuffin17), and I'm a SMITEFire moderator and casual SMITE player on PC and PS4. Welcome to my first venture outside of my original project, The Overarching Assault Guide.

I'll assume you know the basic gist of gameplay in the various modes, so I won't be teaching or talking much about rotating, minions, tickets, etc., except in the direct context of Loki's gameplay. If you want details on general info, I invite you to check out my other guides:

The
Overarching
Conquest Guide

The
Overarching
Arena Guide

This is a work in progress, as it should be. I'm always open to new ideas and different approaches.

NOTE FOR CURRENT STATE OF LOKI: He is LOW VIABILITY in his current state due to the nerfs at the start of Season 6. You have been warned.

Loki is a single-target, get-in & get-out kind of god, who employs his mobility, stealth, and high burst damage to overcome his adversaries. He is not viable in competitive play, but can be a blast to play in any casual mode, depending on team comp.

-Very squishy-No teamfight presence-Has to get in close for max damage-No sustained boxing capability

Loki is the only god in the entire game whose entire kit provides 100% or higher scaling from power. This build focuses on the most efficient way to get maximum damage for your abilities through high power and penetration. It is not meant for boxing and elongated fights. Let's get our hands bloody.

Abilities

Basic Attacks

0.75 / .5 / .5 / .5 / 1.5x damage and swing time

Discussion: Loki has a relatively quick attack progression, especially through his first 4 hits. The most impactful hit is the first, since his combos always employ attack canceling.

This progression could be beneficial, IF he was a basic attacking god. However, as a get-in-get-out god looking to deal burst damage, he's not going to build into items like Hastened Katana, The Executioner, or Qin's Sais...not to mention crit items.

Basic attack damage = [base damage (at X level) + physical power from items (not including enemy protections)] * progression. A hunter has no progression (or a constant 1). Where their damage will be relatively straightforward, Loki's first hit would only deal 75%. Crits are calculated from that value, which means where a hunter would crit for double the damage, Loki would only deal 1.5x. This is the main reason crits (and basic attack items in general) aren't suggested.

Discussion: You want to utilize this whenever possible, though this is easier said than done. Enemies will constantly be changing directions, so this works most commonly in the following situations:

Against retreating enemies (easy bonus)

Against minions, jungle camps, and the Arena Juggernaut (with the aid of Decoy or the attentions of teammates)

Skill #1:

Vanish

Loki disappears in a puff of smoke for up to 4s. While invisible, he gains 35% move speed, removes and gains immunity to slow effects. His next basic attack from stealth (or for 2s after) applies a bleed to his target, dealing damage every 0.5s for 2 seconds, and reveals Loki. CD 15 seconds.

Leveling Priority: Prioritize this 2nd for the bonus damage. It can be prioritized higher, if preferred, for the high bonus ticking damage it provides.

Offense: Use when attacking for the bonus damage (also, use attack canceling for added Hydra's procs). Use when approaching an enemy to catch them unawares (try to hit them from behind for added damage).

Utility: If in a safe area, use this for the temporary speed boost it grants to move around the map more quickly. Use it to chase and pick off a lone enemy. Can also work to help you deploy a Decoy optimally while making yourself a difficult target to locate while doing so.

Tips: When using it as an escape, since the enemy cannot see you, use deception to help you get away. Depending on the situation, you may consider heading in the opposite direction of normal retreat, throwing them off your trail. Also, you can use it to get enemies to back off, if vanishing makes them think you're going to attack them.

Cautions: If you are hit with DoT (damage over time) abilities, they will allow enemies to see the numerical damage above your position when stealthed.

If you are close enough to the enemy, they can hear you when you trigger this ability, alerting them to your presence. If trying to sneak up to an enemy, try to use it as far away as possible.

If Loki enters an enemy structures's attack range while invisible, he'll be revealed...don't expect to be sneaky when entering tower range.

Use with awareness and discretion, as it is your main form of escape.

Skill #2:

Decoy

Loki spawns a decoy that taunts all nearby enemy minions. After 3 seconds, it explodes, dealing damage to all enemies in a radius. CD 12 seconds.

Leveling Priority: Level this skill first for minion clear/control, but you can consider maxing it last.

Discussion: This skill GREATLY improves Loki's utility. Instead of being a one-shot god, using this completely stops the standard minion wave in its tracks, helping you push forward when your team is doing well, or delay them from attacking your tower. Since it takes the attention of minions, you can use this to avoid minion damage to yourself, and help you attack them from behind for the Behind You! bonus damage.

In addition, you can drop this into range of objectives before minions or teammates attack, to absorb the first couple of hits.

Tips: Place it directly on the first of the back 3 (archer) minions to ensure hitting all 6 minions, as the melee minions will run back to attack it.

Has secondary, tricky function as a block. Place it between yourself and an attacking enemy to have it absorb directed attacks. Place it in front of an enemy to cause them to have to go around it...it isn't a large obstacle, but can slow them down.

Skill #3:

Aimed Strike

Upon activation, the next basic attack does additional damage, and the enemy is also slowed by 25% for 3s. CD 12-8 seconds.

Leveling Priority: Max this first for burst damage (essential to use attack canceling with Hydra's procs).

General Use: Single Target Burst Damage

Discussion: This is your bread-and-butter damage ability. Strong single-target damage + a slow, and when Hydra's Star/ Hydra's Lament is built, its damage increase piggy-backs onto this. At 40% CDR at max rank, you can use this every 5 seconds!

Tips: When combining with your ult, you want to wait to activate this until AFTER you've ulted AND used 1 basic attack, to maximize Hydra's procs.

You can prime this ability, as the buff lasts for 5 seconds. At max CD and max rank, you can hit an enemy right before the buff wears off, then almost immediately re-trigger for additional damage.

Cautions: As with Vanish, triggering this ability gives an audible cue if enemies are close enough. If attempting to sneak up on an unsuspecting enemy, do not trigger.

Ultimate:

Assassinate

Teleport to your ground target location. If an enemy god is within the radius, backstab that target, doing damage and stunning them for 1 second. CD 90 seconds.

Leveling Priority: Level this whenever it is available.

General Use: Single Target Burst Damage / Escape

Discussion: When this ability is available, you'll mainly use this to initiate your damage combos. It allows you to instantly teleport short distances, relocating you directly behind the target and dealing damage.

Can also be used as a last-ditch escape attempt (and can get you outside/through a player-made barrier). This is obviously not optimal, so only use for this purpose if absolutely necessary.

Tips: The teleport aspect of this ability allows you to jump behind the enemy front-line to target the more dangerous (and squishier) enemies behind. Try to use it as such whenever possible.

Ability Combos

Here are the standard combos you can use for Loki, depending on the availability of your ult, Assassinate.

This is your highest damage combo, and should kill any squishy god, as you're utilizing all of your attacking abilities and your passive from Hydra's Lament multiple times. You can use this to 100-0 a lone squishy enemy or finish off a damaged tank. In a teamfight, you want to target the biggest damage threat on the enemy team, to take them out of the fight and make it easier on the rest of your team.

Some things to consider:

Vanish: you can use it initially to conceal your approach if you feel confident in getting a kill and escaping safely, or save it to trigger it last to chase/confirm a kill, or as an escape.

Aimed Strike: If you want to use an initial Aimed Strike before ulting, timing is tricky, as you need to activate the first Aimed Strike with intent to attack the enemy just before 5 seconds are up (at 40% CDR and max rank). The second Aimed Strike can only be activated after those 5 seconds.

Decoy: An additional option is to pop your Decoy directly on your target immediately before you ult. The stun from Assassinate and the slow from Aimed Strike may allow it to hit for additional damage.

The difference here is that you weren't planning a hit, but you see an opportunity that requires your immediate action. This usually means the target is already engaged/busy with one or more of your teammates and damaged to some extent, making it easier for you to get in without having to rely on Assassinate or Vanish. It's easy enough to pop Aimed Strike before you attack.

You don't have to use Assassinate at the point it's listed. It does help with ability flow, but you absolutely can save it to chase a fleeing enemy.

When Assassinate isn't available, your engagement options are limited. To surprise an enemy, you can use Vanish for a stealthy approach, or if they're tied up, you can save it to finish an enemy or escape the area.

Conquest Solo-Lane Build & Discussion

Conquest Solo-Lane Trans Build & Discussion

This build works for Conquest Solo-Lane, and can also work for other gameplay modes, if the mana pool from Transcendence is desired. The first 4 items are core, while the last 2 are situational picks.

Conquest Solo-Lane Itemization

A Note on Team Composition

Loki is perhaps best used in the Solo-Lane in a Conquest match. He is considered a casual pick only. Since most Solo-Laners are Warriors or Guardians that build tanky w/ counter-items, he's best used when at least 2 other teammates, including the Support, are tankier. Examples include a mid-lane Zhong Kui / Hades, or a Warrior Jungler.

This provides the team with 2 standard damage-soakers, while Loki is freed to be a back-line Assassin (target the squishy gods) and Objective Split-Pusher.

Against tanky enemies, you're not likely to win a prolonged boxing match. You'll look to stay elusive and make it extremely frustrating for the enemy laner to push the lane, or work with teammates to get a gank so you can gain a temporary advantage.

Heartseeker (Burst Damage & MS): interesting as a late-game item, the added movespeed is nice, but you'll want to build the 5 stacks (likely on minions) before attacking an enemy god for the nice burst-damage it provides.

Bloodforge (Sustain & Survival): High power is great, but you'll also want to utilize the lifesteal to keep your health up...in-between fights, instead of backing, drop a quick Decoy on minions and hit them a few times to refill your health. The passive is great for when you do your assassination job, providing you with a boost of speed and health to keep you alive and allow you to continue the chase.

Brawler's Beat Stick (Anti-Heal): Good choice if facing lots of anti-heal. Since your objective is to burst enemies down, you may or may not get much out of it, but the power and penetration are still helpful.

Titan's Bane (Anti-Tank): for general offensive use, this is a good pick to deal significant damage against tanks (who should not be your priority). No longer helps with objective damage, so is a very situational pick.

Magi's Cloak (Defense / Anti-CC): If you find enemies are always aware of you and ready to counter you or have way too much CC, this may be useful to allow you to engage, rather than cower in a corner. This isn't an optimal item by any means, but it might be required in any case.

Conquest Gameplay

Starting Process

Standard (Lane) Start: You're likely to start in the Solo-Lane by yourself. Head directly to your lane (1) to clear the first wave with Decoy.

Out-clearing the enemy provides options for varying levels of aggression, so clearing quickly and efficiently is important.

If you can significantly out-clear the enemy, you can attempt a few things:

Continue attacking them with the help of your minions

Attempt to steal their Mana Buff (2), or get a head start on clearing your own Mana Buff (0) if it's spawned.

Clear the Totem of Ku, if it is spawned.

If you are out-cleared, you'll need to react to the enemies' movements. More than anything, you want to protect your buff.

Your main early objective is to stay in-lane, clear waves and poke the enemy, picking up the Mana Buff whenever it respawns. If your lane enemy leaves lane, be sure to warn teammates.

Gameplay Elements

Expect to be outmuscled in lane until you get Transcendence online. Always be aware of the enemy's ability to initiate...at the first scent of danger, don't be afraid to Vanish. A little bit of used mana is a much better trade than a death. Unless the enemy isn't playing intelligently, you shouldn't look to initiate or even fight for the first few levels, until you have some items. Just use Decoy and stay at safe distance.

Don't forget to use Vanish as you leave the fountain for a free speed boost.

Once you're able to clear the majority of the minion wave with one hit of Decoy, you can consider dropping your Decoy and immediately rotating out of lane. If the Totem of Ku is up, you can take that down. Since the ability is fire-and-forget, you can use it to safely proxy a wave and give yourself extra time in the jungle to sneak and look for a gank opportunity.

As the game progresses, your two main jobs will be to gank vulnerable enemies and take down objectives. Decoy can act as an advance escort to a minion wave (or even you), buying them a couple of extra seconds before the tower turns on them. If you see an opportunity, let your team know you're looking to split-push (so they know not to expect your support)...see if they can take the enemy's focus while you sneak around to exposed towers and take them down before the enemy can react.

Warding

Placing 2 wards at a time is your best bet to warn you of incoming enemies from multiple locations. Below are color-coded locations for pairs of wards depending on your aggressiveness in-lane.

Early / Lane Warding

Green: Locations for safest play. Gives you a good view of the main entrances to your lane to warn you of incoming ganks.

Yellow: Same offensive ward location, but the defensive ward is pushed out a bit to give you a bit earlier warning from normal enemy jungle paths and encroach a bit on the Fire Giant area. However, it will not help you spot an aggressive jungler that approaches from behind, near the blue buff.

Red: This provides you with great early warning in the offensive zone when pushing your lane. It doesn't cover your backside, however, so you'll be relying on your own skill and good communication with teammates to keep you alive.

Late Game Warding

Remember, minions act as moving wards in the lanes, and are able to spot nearby gods. If your towers are down, keep your minions pushed up as much as possible to provide eyes...if they're pushed back to your towers, your priority is to defend those towers.

Green: Safe spots. To allow you to push safely in nearby lanes, these are good places to cover enemy infiltration. If you don't know where the enemy is, don't push, especially not alone. These spots provide a good balance of revealing movement on your side of the map.

Yellow: Aggressive, and very useful. If you have these warded in addition to the greens, you can almost assuredly push lanes safely. Just make sure you keep your eyes on the minimap.

Red: High Risk, High Reward. If you have these, the enemy can barely leave base without you knowing where they are. This allows you to spot people out of position, and crash down on them for a kill.

Purple: Objectives / Buffs. Just a reminder to use a Sentry Ward, especially on the Fire Giant. In the late stages of a game when builds are completed, you won't worry much about the Gold Fury.

Teamfight Modes / No-Trans Build & Discussion

Teamfight Modes / No-Trans Build & Discussion

This build set presents an alternative to the standard Transcendence build (which can also absolutely work in these modes). It can work well in all teamfight modes, but you may find yourself short on mana if you don't supplement correctly.

Without Transcendence, extended stays in lane will need to be supplemented with a boosted mana source. If you can determine you can take the mana buff, you can just get a few Mana Potions. Otherwise, consider Chalice of Mana to start. 3 potions refilled every time you go out will definitely be helpful.

Keep the Chalice until you see the need for 2 consumable spots (e.g. Clash and Joust, where both Wards and Sentry Wards can be helpful).

Items #1-3 (Core Items)

Item #1:

Warrior Tabi

40 power, 18% move speed.

Loki is an ability-based god, with great scaling on Decoy (for wave clear), Aimed Strike, and Assassinate. This provides the highest base power of all of the mobility items, and should be the standard first item.

Item #2:

Jotunn's Wrath

40 power, 10 penetration, 150 mana, 20% CDR.

Huge CDR, with high power and a bit of early penetration. Essential item on Loki to help spam his ult. I prefer this 2nd over Hydra's Lament for 3 reasons.

Albeit minor, the 10 pen is going to help damage output for all abilities.

The 10% higher CDR over Hydra's is helpful.

Hydra's passive relies on power, so is more effective with more power.

Item #3:

Hydra's Lament

40 power, 10% CDR, passive (for 8 seconds after using an ability, the next basic attack deals an additional 50% damage, and increases MP5 by 2.5 per 10% of your missing maximum mana).

This will get you close to maxing your CDR (now at 30%), and the additional damage your basic attack does after using any ability is significant. With no CD between ability use, the passive has the potential to provide a good amount of extra damage, especially when using combos.

Items #4-6 (Situational Picks)

Choose 3.

Heartseeker (Burst Damage & MS): interesting as a late-game item, the added movespeed is nice, but you'll want to build the 5 stacks (likely on minions) before attacking an enemy god for the nice burst-damage it provides.

Bloodforge (Sustain & Survival): High power is great, but you'll also want to utilize the lifesteal to keep your health up...in-between fights, instead of backing, drop a quick Decoy on minions and hit them a few times to refill your health. The passive is great for when you do your assassination job, providing you with a boost of speed and health to keep you alive and allow you to continue the chase.

Brawler's Beat Stick (Anti-Heal): Good choice if facing lots of anti-heal. Since your objective is to burst enemies down, you may or may not get much out of it, but the power and penetration are still helpful.

Titan's Bane (Anti-Tank): for general offensive use, this is a good pick to deal significant damage against tanks (who should not be your priority). No longer helps with objective damage, so is a very situational pick.

Masamune (Hybrid + MS): Good power blends with situational protections if you need to dive into a teamfight to get a kill on the biggest squishy enemy threat. The MS is a bonus.

Soul Eater (CDR + Sustain): Maxes your CDR (don't mix with Mantle of Discord) and provides very good power. The hybrid ability/basic attack lifesteal helps health sustain if you're away from the fountain for long periods of time.

Magi's Cloak (Defense / Anti-CC): If you find enemies are always aware of you and ready to counter you or have way too much CC, this may be useful to allow you to engage, rather than cower in a corner. This isn't an optimal item by any means, but it might be required in any case.

Mantle of Discord (CDR + Defense): Consider this item a last-resort if you feel the need for protections. The CDR at least allows this to be a decent utility pickup, though the lack of power will definitely cut into your damage potential.

Clash / Joust / Siege Gameplay

Suggest starting with 2 levels of Decoy (for waveclear) and 1 level of Vanish (needed for escape). Your main focus until you get your ult online should be waveclear. After getting your ult, look for damaged enemies you can quickly eliminate, but make sure you give yourself avenues of escape (e.g. don't dive into the midst of all 5 enemies to secure a kill, knowing it's basically a deathtrap).

Use Decoy liberally to push waves and force the enemy back. Otherwise, just as in any other mode, stay safe, and go for kills on vulnerable / damaged enemies.

Arena Gameplay

Throughout the match, remember that Loki isn't a team fighter, nor is he particularly adept at 1 v 1. You may feel a bit stupid or useless for mostly staying out of a big fight, but it's in your (and your team's) best interest. Counter your periods of ineffectiveness by watching the field, positioning yourself well, and helping gank a retreating, injured enemy to secure a kill or adding your damage at an opportune time in a bigger team fight.

Game Start & First Waves

Jungle Camps/Early Game:

Use the following sequence for efficiency, to help your team blast through the jungle camps and get to the middle as quickly as possible. Remember, missing out on minions means missing out on $$$, XP and skill progression.

As you approach the middle, Decoy should be up, if you need it for the first minion wave. You can also use it to help push forward (pop it behind the first 3 minions), or to prevent them from getting too close to your base. Don't try to push too far ahead, as it makes it farther for your team to retreat, and quicker for the enemy team to regroup. Don't go for any kills yet.

After the 2nd or 3rd minion wave, you should hit level 5, which you'll use to level your ult, Assassinate. You can let your team know it's up with a quick "VVVR". IF you see any opportunities, you can try for a kill. Save Vanish as an escape, or to chase an enemy that's hurt and separated from the pack.

At this point, you can go back to camp to get your full Warrior Tabi (or Heartseeker) and as much of Jotunn's Wrath as possible. However, if you find your team being pushed back, it might be best for you to stay longer, and use your Decoy to make sure they don't push too close to your base.

Here's a video clip showing the general process. You will note that I didn't use Vanish on the 3rd jungle camp...I didn't feel the need. I also forgot to use my mana potions. Oops.

Mid-Game

Leveling and Being Opportunistic

As you enter the mid-game, make sure you continue to monitor the minion wave. Use Decoy when it's up, and if your team isn't clearing the wave well, you can put more points into it at the expense of Vanish. Don't approach groups of enemies except as support for your teammates.

Hopefully you've maxed Aimed Strike, and you're putting points into Assassinate whenever possible. You're now at a point where you can more aggressively attack, given the right circumstance. Look for the squishy god with weak escape abilities, or the tank that has extended too far and has been weakened.

You can also play some mind games! Every once in a while, if you're relatively safe but don't have an easy target, go ahead and use Vanish. You don't have to attack, but if you move to the side like you're positioning yourself for a gank, it might make them nervous and prevent them from pushing forward too much. It might even make them retreat some, preventing them from adding their poke damage for a time.

End-Game

Going all out

Here's the real part you've been waiting for...a full (or close to full) build, and the enemy can see the waves of power streaming off your body. You've got maxed skills, max CDR, and are just itching for blood.

Now, what to do if...

Assassinate is up: At this point, you should be able to burst down almost any squishy god (assassin, hunter, or mage) from around 75% health via Pre-Meditated Murder. You can possibly kill a tank that's below half health or so, depending on the protections they've built.

Assassinate is down: You'll have to watch more carefully, and pick your battles a bit. First, make sure the minion wave is covered. If so, you can use Decoy as a minor distraction. Look mostly to catch an enemy unawares and hit them with an Aimed Strike while they're busy worrying about one of your teammates. Best time is to time it when a friendly has just used one of their CC abilities. Even without Assassinate, you do good damage, so a 5 v 5 fight can quickly turn into a rout if you pick the right targets.

End of the Match

If your team is losing: you have to play conservatively. Basically, make sure you don't die from overextending or forgetting that your Purification or Sanctuary isn't available. Look to support your team, and only go for a kill if it's pretty much assured and there's a good possibility you will survive.

If your team is winning: make sure you don't use your ult when the enemy has only 20 or so tickets left. If you're significantly ahead, you want your ult up to finish things, so make sure you save it for a final kill, either solo or by helping your teammates. Even with the whole enemy team sticking together, you can burst a partially damaged, squishy god in about 2 seconds. Since you won't need to retreat, you can go all out with a kill from stealth.

Arena Gameplay Videos

Here are some gameplay videos for your amusement. Although other gods have seen some major changes, Loki hasn't, and his gameplay elements are still applicable, even on older (S2) videos.

So Much CC (S2)

5 Hunters? Loki's Wet Dream (S2)

This one wasn't fair, but I had to publish it...I have to assume they were just screwing off with that composition, but their mastery levels blew ours away. My final tally: 14-1-16.

Why is it that anytime you see an enemy on the other team that chose the same as you, that you automatically see it as a competition? The Loki was a mastery VII. This match saw me dominate the other side with a final score of 12-1-20.

Here is another game...in fact, the next game I played after the video above...only this time, that guy got the upper hand. Felt like I was trying to anticipate him the entire game, and it threw me off. That mastery level IX meant something in this case. I mostly kept up with him in total player and minion damage, but his timing was definitely superior. My final score: 7-6-12.

And one more...this time against a mastery X. I got to play with my overseas friend Bullfrog323 on this one. This is the first video utilizing my full penetration build, and I'd say it did well. My final score: 12-4-11.

Final score: 12/6/14. Pretty good damage for being Loki and having to sit back a decent amount.

Lore & References

Nevercake's SMITE Lore Ep. 60: Who is Loki?

Trendkill's Know Your Enemy Ep. 20: Loki

Smite Builder: If you haven't seen or used it before, check out this site by EliteOwnage. Similar in purpose to KrettCalc, but with an easy-to-use interface, you can theory-build to your heart's content, and set up head-to-heads to see how your build will fare against different enemies and builds.

SE does make sense IMO, as it provides high power + CDR if the build is focusing on that and is building enough pen, such as seen in my example build. That said, SE is only an option, and the lifesteal aspect is a bit throwaway on him.

Never actually thought about Blackthorn Hammer on him, but that does make sense. Added as an option. Thanks for the suggestion.

people should be buying trans, boots, HYDRAS, then jotunns. hydras being the big hitter and i would say the main source of damage, i insist on getting it as soon as possible. the extra 10% cdr and 10 pen is tempting but the passive of hydras is so much more useful early game (plus its cheaper). i even perfer getting crusher before jotunns, because of Loki's high possibility of ghost autos. i find my self landing my basics better when getting crushers. lastly and most importantly please do yours self a favor and max your 1 first not your 3, idk if your 1 procs hydras (never really took the time to check) but your 1 does the most damage early game. watch the pro player weak3n play loki, in his latest videos of him playing loki he explains why maxing the 1 first is better. ever since i started maxing my one first i noticed a drastic change in my success rate, im able to get 3-5 kills with in the first 10 minutes of the game.

I do mention in my notes for the core items that some prefer Hydra's first. You can absolutely get that first if you insist.

I'll consider prioritizing Vanish earlier (here's the video, and note that it was from Season 5), and yes, Hydra's is a core part of his kit and a main part of his burst potential. I do want to make some points though, which you may or may not agree with...

Vanish absolutely has higher damage potential in a single strike. The only thing about leveling this skill, though, is damage increase. Aimed Strike not only increases damage (yes, it's significantly lower), but it has a significantly lower cooldown, and the CD decreases with each level. Combine that with getting Jotunn's first, and the 30% CDR between that and Trans means Aimed has a 6.3 second CD.

I personally don't always use Vanish for the damage in an initiation or in the middle of a fight. I often prefer to save it just in case I need to escape, or in a chase situation to secure a kill. I thus might not always see the benefit of prioritizing Vanish. On the flipside, I will ALWAYS use Aimed Strike in any engagement.

Not sure how much you use this strat, but something to consider. You'll never get Vanish off 2 times in a single engagement (unless that engagement is overly long). With the 30% CDR before Hydra's gets you to 40% in my normal build progression, you can get 2 activations of Aimed off in a couple of seconds, if you activate it a few seconds before starting a fight. Even if you're not all that prepared, you'll get 2 off in 6-7 seconds. Vanish? 10+ before Hydra's, or as you build Hydra's first, if you don't have Jotunn's yet, 12 seconds.

Side note: we can note that in Weak3n's video that you referenced, he also got Jotunn's Wrath before Hydra's Lament. He also didn't get Trans until late, which is also something you can do. (also, read the comments below the video...other people are pointing out some reasons why leveling Aimed first can be beneficial...lots of discussion on that)

Jotunn's before Hydra's does give you some other advantages. It has 10 flat pen, which means base damage of abilities, as well as basics when not getting the Hydra's proc, will be higher. (Also, Hydra's 50% higher damage isn't actually 50%...it's 50% BEFORE mitigations, so more pen makes that more effective) 10% higher CDR means more utility, whether it being your ult up more quickly in case you can use it right as it comes off CD (I admit, not always the case), as well as obviously generally lower CD on everything else.

Note the S6 nerf. The 25% reduction in his damage output on the first hit will apply to the Hydra's proc as well. That bonus damage from Hydra's is NOT going to be the 50% as it reads. It's only going to be a 37.5% increase (before mitigations, which will further reduce it). Want some simple calcs? Here. For ease of consideration, base 100 damage. Hydra's proc would make it 150. In S6 6.1, that base 100 damage would now be 75. Hydra's proc (0.5 * 75) = 112.5, or a bonus of 37.5%. Yes, it's still bonus damage, and yes, he needs the bonus damage especially due to the nerf, but it's not doing as much for you as it used to. Jotunn's absolutely provides some benefits that Hydra's does not.

Your points are good, but they're also one-dimensional. I'm not saying your direction is bad, and obviously you can absolutely benefit from prioritizing Vanish and Hydra's Lament, but to me, the consideration isn't as simple as you paint it. I do appreciate the comments! I'm not convinced to fully change my leveling priority, but I don't mind adding some further discussion on it and giving readers the option to do so with reasoning. I'll make that adjustment soon.

I haven't seen any guides detailing this yet, so I could be wrong, but I like to include it in my combos.

What I've found is that dropping it on the enemy before using Assassinate's stun can usually keep them in the radius long enough for the damage to apply (it's at least worth a try most times). Additionally, it can be used as a body block tool when chasing or escaping, or as a defensive tool for absorbing basic attacks and abilities.

Yes, I probably should include that one a bit more clearly. Note in the "assassinate is up" combo titled "Pre-Meditated Murder," I say this:

An additional option is to pop your Decoy directly on your target immediately before you ult. The stun from Assassinate and the slow from Aimed Strike will allow it to hit for additional damage.

One other thing I should add is, lol, my usual combo. In those ult combos, I talk about using Aimed first...but most of the time, I go straight into Assassinate, get the basic for Hydra's, then trigger Aimed Strike and another basic.

I do talk about Decoy being used as a block in the ability section (just a brief mention), but don't find it fits in a "combo" section for that use very well. I should mention not just against directed attacks, but also for blocking retreat and stuff.

Thanks for the suggestions, they are good and I will have those adjusted.

Yo, I revamped the ability section, and although the combo section is still messy (trying to figure out the best way to show all options in a combo), I've elaborated some. Care to review and share thoughts?

Recommending Crit items for the arena build as a option? Why? Also another thing, if you had to decide between Masamune and Stone Cutting Sword why have you chosen Masamune? (I would build neither I’m just asking).

They both offer MS, and Loki shouldn’t be really getting full use of the passive from Masamune due to his play style. And even if you did somehow get max prots from the passive, in most cases it won’t be enough to prevent your death if you’re caught out. If you combined it with shifters and his damage mitigation from Vanish then maybe I could see it having a ok use.

There...whole thing cleaned up and simplified. Got rid of the Arena build and just made it Build 1 (Conquest / Trans) and Build 2 (Teamfight modes / No-Trans). Simplified the item options to only the ones I'd consider, rather than the troll items like DB/Malice and whatnot (which I've honestly never built in my recollection).

Yeah, I've been less enthralled with The Crusher, especially built later. I probably could throw that back in, but I was trying to clean house. I think I'd prefer Heartseeker to Crusher at this point.

Soul Eater yes, in some teamfight modes (I'd mostly only consider for Siege or Clash). He has 0 health sustain in his kit, so a bit of added healing (especially with Decoy on minion waves) is nice to have just to keep his health up if he doesn't otherwise need to back and he's taken some damage. Staying out with 1/2 health is just asking to get an unsuspecting Blink / CC / Burst and dying very quickly, since he's squishy. Being able to heal up a bit is a decent luxury, and he can do it with very little thought via Decoy as he runs past a wave toward a fight/target.

Also, 10% CDR when not going Trans, and also 60 power. It's an alternative to Bloodforge, which has similar power, all things considered.

Just an FYI, you normally shouldn't link your own guide on a god in another's guide. I'm okay with it this time, cuz it's my own, but please don't do this to anyone else. If you want to ask for advice, comment inside your own guide, or do it in this forum: https://www.smitefire.com/smite/forum/build-guide-discussion

In most ways, Clash is like a bigger Arena, but it's that bigger part that's the issue. Base isn't as close, so his biggest issue, mana consumption, needs to be considered.

I see 4 things you can generally do:

Get one of the mana buffs. This is great for him anyway in the early game because it also provides CDR, and he really, really wants his ult up as often as possible. However, taking it instead of a teammate that can deal AOE damage, for example, will potentially reduce your overall team damage output. Keep that in consideration.

Grab a Chalice of Mana early (doesn't have to be at the start, but shortly thereafter.

Get Transcendence 2nd, then Jotunn's (and down the line) after. Obviously you'll never have mana issues if you get this, and power is something he always appreciates. Trans is a historically common item for him anyway.

I would also consider a movespeed item (like Masamune or Heartseeker) a bit earlier in the build, just to get to lane or chase people down more quickly.

That does look pretty fun. Personally, I feel Titan's Bane is core no matter what, though. At level 20 (which people will hit eventually), even the squishy gods have like 60 physical protection, so TB will provide the most pen of any item (at least 20, much higher against tanky gods).

Other issue with that is I'm looking to get as many items online as soon as possible. Say the entire enemy team is squishy (but they're good at focusing if I go to gank, so I have to play somewhat carefully). TB is way too cheap not to be core...and getting both Malice AND Deathbringer is very expensive. Thoughts?

It is expensive yes. And i would end it with TB.
But if you do well early you should have the gold to finish the build.
Haven't played it in for ever though. So it might just be to slow now. With the big creep dude you get per 10 kills..

But i will definitely try and do one during the weekend and record it :p

I think I play more cautiously than you. My primary aim when playing Loki is to die as little as possible.

My current history playing him has me averaging less than 5 deaths a game, killing 8 and getting around 11 assists. And with Loki, it's specifically that focus on getting as few deaths as possible, so as not to feed the team.

Ok, a good guide for arena, or not, whatever... I'm main Loki since Season 2, I got Diamond in Conquest recently, playing only with Loki, but I have about 600 matches in arena, so I still can talk something about it. Transcedence doesn't worth in arena since Heartseeker's passive changed. Hydra's Lament, Boots, Jotunn's, Heartseeker, 2 PenetrationS. That's the custom build for me. No defense, no HP, only Power/Penetration/CDR.

Not sure what you're talking about, because I don't have Trans in my build. Hydra's, IMO, is better a bit later (after Jotunn's) because the passive benefits from higher existing damage (basically a form of scaling)...Jotunn's provides a bit of early pen, and has higher CDR so you can get your ult up more often.

Also don't really prefer Heart, because I don't want to bother stacking basics to get the effect up. It can absolutely help deal more damage, not discounting that, but just feel that getting the other items online is going to help more overall.

But it sounds like our general focus is very similar overall...as it should be, concentrating on power, pen, and CDR.

SmiteFire & Smite

Smite is an online battleground between mythical gods. Players choose from a selection of gods, join session-based arena combat and use custom powers and team tactics against other players and minions. Smite is inspired by Defense of the Ancients (DotA) but instead of being above the action, the third-person camera brings you right into the combat. And, instead of clicking a map, you use WASD to move, dodge, and fight your way through the detailed graphics of SMITE's battlegrounds.